Thursday, March 8, 2018

NOW IN SEASON💕

"Ikanago no Kugini" (いかなごのくぎ煮) is my favorite Tsukudani (food boiled down in soy sauce) made with Ikanago (sand eel/sand lance).

Ikanago no Kugini is a famous Tsukudani in Hyogo prefecture. My grandma, who lives there cooks a few kilograms of Ikanago no Kugini every year for us in Tokyo.

It is usually cooked and eaten around the end of February or early March, when the fish is about an inch long. After its season, Ikanago goes deep in the sea where is cooler. Then it goes under the sand and aestivate.

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

Directions:
1. I use 160ml mug. Put all ingredients in the mug then mix well. Add cooking oil to make it rich. Add a few drops of vanilla extract to make it appetizing.
2. Microwave at 600w (medium) for 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with maple syrup if you like.

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Onsen Manjyu (温泉まんじゅう) is a very popular souvenir from Hakone. It is a soft steamed bun filled with Azuki bean paste. Brown ones are the basic. They were complimentary at the hotel we stayed ;)

Nanohana (菜の花) is very popular for their Onsen Manjyu. Brown ones (Hakone no Otsukisama 箱根のお月さま) expires in 4 days. They also have black ones Gokurosan (ご黒うさん) colored with bamboo charcoal and black sesame seeds. Black ones can be enjoyed for 20 days but before you open the package.

Kuro Choco (黒チョコ) is black-colored white chocolate with almond which looks like the black egg in Owakudani (大涌谷), where you can find black eggs (a local specialty of eggs hard-boiled in the hot springs). Eating one egg is said to add seven years to your life!!! hehe

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

神戸プリン Kobe Purin (Pudding / Flan)
you can keep it at room temperature for 2 months.
(you can find at any souvenir shops, stations, or airport in Kobe)http://www.kobepudding.com/

風見鶏チーズケーキ Kazamidori Cheese Cake
made with camembert cheese and cream cheese with a hint of orange
it is sold frozen. you defrost and keep it in the fridge, and eat within 3 days.
(you can find at any souvenir shops, stations, or airport in Kobe)http://www.kazamidori.co.jp/

大黒屋 いかなごくぎ煮 Daikokuya Ikanago no Kugini
sand eel simmered in soy sauce, Mirin, and sugar with a hint of ginger
best eaten within 4 months
(you can find at any souvenir shops, stations, or airport in Kobe)http://www.kobe-daikokuya.co.jp/item/HL25/

I bought a pair of earrings at a shop called macaroni in Motomachi. They are made of Farfalle (real bow-tie pasta!!!). They have many cute hand made accessories from Europe.http://macaroni.shop-pro.jp/

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

"Ikanago no Kugini" (いかなごのくぎ煮) is my favorite Tsukudani (food boiled down in soy sauce) made with Ikanago (sand eel/sand lance).

Ikanago no Kugini is a famous Tsukudani in Hyogo prefecture. My grandma, who lives there cooks a few kilograms of Ikanago no Kugini every year for us in Tokyo.

It is usually cooked and eaten around the end of February or early March, when the fish is about an inch long. After its season, Ikanago goes deep in the sea where is cooler. Then it goes under the sand and aestivate.

This year she sent us in the beginning of March again, with some local sweets :)

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

On White Day (3/14: men give gifts to women in return for the chocolate they were given on Valentine's Day) my darling gave me French luxury chocolate macarons created by La Maison de Chocolat. They are made of fresh and natural ingredients.

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

On the weekend, my family and I went to Kinugawa Onsen to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday!!!

Kinugawa Onsen (鬼怒川温泉) is a popular hot spring resort in the city of Nikkō, Tochigi, Japan. It is located 2 hours by train from Tokyo. BTW, Bento on the train is nice! We always get it at a department store. Not Ekiben! hehe

Tobu World Square (東武ワールドスクエア):
A theme park with more than 100 famous sites from around the world, in 1/25th of the original sizes. You can also enjoy nighttime illumination from 12/1-3/2. It is freezing cold though. haha

Tom and Maimu Colorful Print Cookies (カラフルプリントクッキー)

Kinugawa Confectionery Castle (鬼怒川お菓子の城):
You can taste and buy all sorts of popular Wagashi (traditional Japanese confections) from Kinugawa. It is not a castle-like place, but they have great freshly made sweets!

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋

I started my cooking channel since 2011 to share beautiful Japanese food culture with you. Fun and easy-to-follow tutorials 👍I hope my recipes are inspiring to try out new things. Please search within my blog to find the recipes you need 😋